Catherine greatly preferred Alexander over his father, and when Paul was assassinated, she got her wish: Her grandson Alexander succeeded her. Alexander, writes Britannica, was married by his grandmother to Princess Louise of Baden-Durlach at a fairly young age, though the marriage was not a happy one. Regardless, after his father was assassinated in 1801, Alexander became the tsar.

Alexander instituted many reforms, mainly a vast plan for education; for example, he oversaw the opening of three new universities. However, he didn't manage to abolish the burden of serfdom, despite the massive problems it presented. Instead, Alexander turned to foreign policy, which he would spend most of the rest of his reign focusing on. He was ultimately successful in fighting against Napoleon Bonaparte's army in 1812 (via Britannica). On the diplomatic front, Alexander felt that like his grandmother Catherine the Great, he was called to mediate across Europe. He ultimately was successful in this, intervening on France's behalf twice during the creation of various peace treaties.

In his later years, Alexander became religious, and he saw rebellion everywhere. After escorting his wife to Taganrog for her health, he toured Crimea to inspect it. On his way back, Alexander contracted either malaria or pneumonia and ultimately died of illness in 1825. Per Britannica, he was succeeded by one of his brothers, who became Nicholas I that same year.

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